Steam Onward Incorporated

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812599694
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Accokeek, MD, USA
Phone
2405158558
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Foundations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$469,128
Expenses
$177,029
Assets
$266,475
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • BONNETTA ADEEB (SEED FARMING EDUCATION DIRECTOR): $12,466 total reported compensation
  • ALEXIS YAMASHITA (NESARE GRANT CO-PROJECT DIRECTOR): $11,066 total reported compensation
  • HASSAN ADEEB (SEED SHOP DIRECTOR): $10,581 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH The mission of STEAM ONWARD is to increase the number of minorities considering STEM and STEM related careers. The "A" stands for AGRICULTURE. Our youth program is focused education and outreach to youth about the diversity of STEM careers in agriculture, the environment, and natural resources. Our most active program area is UJAMAA COOPERATIVE FARMING ALLIANCE (UCFA). The mission of UCFA is to increase the number of BIPOC growers of culturally meaningful heirloom seeds. We accomplish this mission through SEED FARMING EDUCATION activities, SEED FARMING activities, and SEED CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION activities.

What it reported doing in 2024

SEED CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION: UCFA works to conserve heritage varieties of culturally important crop species both at our central seed hub in Maryland and at regional seed hubs across the US. Through UJAMAA SEEDS, we provide culturally meaningful heirloom seeds, mainly through online sales, but also at conferences, community events, and market days. Seeds are also produced for both free distribution within our network and for sale to the public. Distributing heirloom seeds helps preserve heritage varieties, and contributes to biodiversity, as well as a more resilient and sustainable food system.

Operating model

Revenue model
Affiliate-supported. 67% of the money available for current operations came from contributions from related organizations.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 41.3%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 62.3%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.51; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 76.7%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 57.8% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 81.8% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 41.3% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $177K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $12K · 31 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 31 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.